Hong Kong Autonomy Act
Latest action · Jul 14, 2020 Became Public Law No: 116-149.
Progress
Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.
- IntroducedJul 1, 2020
- Passed HouseJul 1, 2020
- Passed SenateJul 2, 2020
- To the PresidentJul 2, 2020
- Became lawJul 14, 2020Public Law 116-149
Summary
Hong Kong Autonomy Act
This bill imposes sanctions on foreign individuals and entities that materially contribute to China's failure to preserve Hong Kong's autonomy.
Hong Kong is part of China but has a largely separate legal and economic system with protections for civil rights such as freedom of speech. This arrangement is enshrined in (1) the Joint Declaration, a 1984 treaty pertaining to the United Kingdom's transfer of Hong Kong's sovereignty to China; and (2) the Basic Law, Hong Kong's constitutional document.
The Department of State shall report annually to Congress information about (1) foreign individuals and entities that materially contributed to China's failure to comply with the Joint Declaration or the Basic Law; and (2) foreign financial institutions that knowingly conducted a significant transaction with such identified individuals and entities. An individual, entity, or financial institution may be excluded from this report for various reasons, such as to protect an intelligence source.
The President shall impose property-blocking sanctions on an individual or entity named in a report, and visa-blocking sanctions on a named individual. The President shall impose various sanctions on a financial institution named in a report, such as prohibiting the institution from receiving loans from a U.S. financial institution.
The President may waive or terminate the imposition of sanctions under this bill. Congress may override such a waiver or termination by passing a joint resolution of disapproval.
Cosponsors 11
Members who signed on, in the order they did. All signed on Jul 1, 2020.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| D-VA | Abigail Davis Spanberger | Original | Jul 1, 2020 |
| R-KY | Andy Barr | Original | Jul 1, 2020 |
| R-PA | Brian K. Fitzpatrick | Original | Jul 1, 2020 |
| D-NY | Carolyn B. Maloney | Original | Jul 1, 2020 |
| D-VA | Gerald E. Connolly | Original | Jul 1, 2020 |
| R-PA | Guy Reschenthaler | Original | Jul 1, 2020 |
| R-UT | John R. Curtis | Original | Jul 1, 2020 |
| R-MS | Michael Guest | Original | Jul 1, 2020 |
| R-PA | Scott Perry | Original | Jul 1, 2020 |
| R-FL | Ted S. Yoho | Original | Jul 1, 2020 |
| D-NY | Thomas R. Suozzi | Original | Jul 1, 2020 |
Committees 5
Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.
| Chamber | Committee | What it did |
|---|---|---|
| House | Foreign Affairs Committee | Referred Jul 1, 2020Discharged Jul 1, 2020 |
| House | Judiciary Committee | Referred Jul 1, 2020Discharged Jul 1, 2020 |
| House | Financial Services Committee | Referred Jul 1, 2020Discharged Jul 1, 2020 |
| House | Ways and Means Committee | Referred Jul 1, 2020Discharged Jul 1, 2020 |
| Trade Subcommittee | Referred Jul 14, 2020 | |
| House | Rules Committee | Referred Jul 1, 2020Discharged Jul 1, 2020 |
Actions 18
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Jul 14, 2020Referred to the Subcommittee on Trade.
- Jul 14, 2020Signed by President.
- Jul 14, 2020Became Public Law No: 116-149.
- Jul 2, 2020Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S4180)
- Jul 2, 2020Message on Senate action sent to the House.
In the Congressional Record 2
Days the Record’s own index lists this bill, newest first, with the pages and the members it names. Pages starting H are the House, S the Senate, E Extensions of Remarks.
| Where | In the Record | Members | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Senate | Debate and remarks S4180, S4198 | Patrick J. Toomey R-PA, Tom Cotton R-AR | Jul 2, 2020 |
| House | Debate and remarks H3039–H3044Text printed H3039–H3044Amendments H304 | Brad Sherman D-CA (amendment) | Jul 1, 2020 |
Research
What has been written about this bill: committee reports, cost estimates, the sponsor’s authority statement, printed hearings and the Congressional Research Service’s work.
Constitutional authority
The sponsor’s statement, as printed in the Congressional Record, vol. 166, no. 121, July 1, 2020, page H3058.
CRS reports 10
Congressional Research Service work that CRS links to this bill or the law it became, newest first.
Cite it 10
Products on other subjects that cite it, usually among other measures.
| Product | Title | Kind | Published |
|---|---|---|---|
| R47844 | Hong Kong Under the National Security Law | Report | Nov 15, 2023 |
| IF12070 | China Primer: Hong Kong | Resource | Oct 12, 2023 |
| R47344 | U.S. Sanctions: Legislation in the 117th Congress Archived | Report | Dec 20, 2022 |
| IN11930 | The 2022 Hong Kong Chief Executive Election Archived | Insight | May 9, 2022 |
| R46915 | China’s Recent Trade Measures and Countermeasures: Issues for Congress | Report | Dec 10, 2021 |
Amendments 1
Amendments offered to this bill.
| Amendment | Description | Offered by | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| HAmdt 831 | An amendment to on page 35, line 16, strike "calendar" and insert "legislative". | Brad Sherman D-CA | On agreeing to the Sherman amendment (A001) Agreed to without objection. |
Related bills 3
Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.
| Bill | Title | Relationship | Latest action |
|---|---|---|---|
| S 3798 | Hong Kong Autonomy Act | Related bill | Jun 29, 2020 |
| S 4049 | National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 | Related bill | Aug 7, 2020 |
| HR 7083 | Hong Kong Autonomy Act | Related bill | Jun 1, 2020 |
Titles 6
Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.
- Official Title as Introduced
- To impose sanctions with respect to foreign persons involved in the erosion of certain obligations of China with respect to Hong Kong, and for other purposes.
- Short Titles as Passed Senate
- Hong Kong Autonomy Act
- Short Titles as Enacted
- Hong Kong Autonomy Act
- Short Title(s) as Introduced
- Hong Kong Autonomy Act
- Short Title(s) as Passed House
- Hong Kong Autonomy Act
- Short Titles from ENR (Enrolled) bill text
- Hong Kong Autonomy Act
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: International Affairs.
- Asia
- Banking and financial institutions regulation
- China
- Congressional oversight
- Corporate finance and management
- Foreign and international banking
- Foreign loans and debt
- Foreign property
- Hong Kong
- Human rights
- Intelligence activities, surveillance, classified information
- International Affairs
- International monetary system and foreign exchange
- Legislative rules and procedure
- News media and reporting
- Presidents and presidential powers, Vice Presidents
- Protest and dissent
- Rule of law and government transparency
- Sanctions
- Sovereignty, recognition, national governance and status
- Trade restrictions
- U.S. and foreign investments
- Visas and passports
- War and emergency powers
Text 5
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- —Enrolled Bill
- Jul 1, 2020Received in Senate
- Jul 1, 2020Engrossed in House
- Jul 1, 2020Introduced in House
- Jul 1, 2020Considered and Passed House
Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov; cost estimates are the Congressional Budget Office's, and the hearings are the printed hearings GovInfo publishes, which can appear months after the hearing.
